Ruan Jiaojiao was now the best at dealing with adults, and upon hearing the words, she immediately squeezed out a sweet smile, responding compliantly, "Yes, I’ve missed you very much."
"Oh my, my little sweetheart." Zhao Li couldn’t resist that at all. Holding Jiaojiao’s little face, she gave her two firm kisses, leaving several big red lip prints on it. This made Xiu Xi, who was behind her, clutch the handkerchief in his pocket tightly, wishing he could rush over and wipe it clean immediately!
After doting on Ruan Jiaojiao for a while, Zhao Li then stood up to greet the Ruanlin Family.
Mrs. Ruanlin smiled and invited her to enter the house first; when she saw several young men jump off the back of the delivery truck, she thought they were their friends. She was about to invite them in when she saw the young men pull down two planks at the back of the truck, go inside, and come out again, this time with three people lifting something down together.
At this, the crowd that had already taken their seats, waiting for the banquet to start, couldn’t sit still anymore and gathered around.
Seeing several workers helping to carry down some chairs carved with flowers, so beautiful that they took one’s breath away, everyone opened their mouths wide, buzzing with discussion.
Those who had never seen such things thought they were chairs and exclaimed, "Why are these chairs so big? They can seat several people, can’t they?"
The ones who had seen them before explained with a look of disdain, "Nonsense, this is called a sofa. Several pieces can make up a set. It’s all the rage in the big cities now. I’ve seen them when I was in the city; all those rich families sit on these. It’s so comfortable and spacious."
The discussions continued in a steady stream among the crowd.
"This is..." Mrs. Ruanlin looked suspicious at Zhao Li, who pinched Ruan Jiaojiao’s little cheek with a smile and explained, "Auntie, don’t worry about it. It’s really nothing fancy. It’s just that my parents’ home got two sets of sofas recently, and I thought they were quite alright, so I decided to send a set for Little Jiaojiao. They’re not worth much money."
At present, the seating options in the countryside were either stools or chairs, all made of wood, handmade by craftsmen, durable enough to last decades without breaking. Having a sofa was indeed a rarity in these households.
Even when Mrs. Ruanlin was a young mistress in a landlord’s family with some money, they had never bought one.
The sofas were made of pine, a softer wood, and as several workers carried down one long and two short pieces, the crowd caught a whiff of the pine scent.
"This sofa is perfect for Jiaojiao," Zhao Li said, noting that pine wood is relatively soft and the neat, pure design made it an excellent choice for children’s sofas.
She really adored Ruan Jiaojiao deep in her heart. When she saw this set of sofas, she couldn’t wait to have it delivered immediately, but at that time, they had already sent a desk. Fearing that the Ruan Family would refuse, she waited until today.
Of course, she also had her own little scheming. She hoped to send more gifts to Ruan Jiaojiao so that the Ruan Family would know she truly loved her, and they would agree to her request to become sworn kin.
Although money shouldn’t be used to measure affection, Zhao Li really had no other choice.
"Didn’t a desk set just arrive a few days ago? This..." Mrs. Ruanlin was looking at the sofa with difficulty, feeling that the wealth of the Lu Family must have been blown in by the wind, sending furniture to her home for no reason. She didn’t even know what to give in return anymore.
Seeing Mrs. Ruanlin troubled, Ruan Jiaojiao reached out and pulled on her hand.
Mrs. Ruanlin looked down, and Jiaojiao winked at her, then turned her head and smiled at Zhao Li, saying, "Thank you, Auntie Li, Jiaojiao loves it very much."